Name: Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
State Served: North Carolina
Highest Rank: Brig-Gen
Birth Date: 1820
Death Date: 1862
Birth Place: Enfield, North Carolina
Army: Confederacy
Promotions: Promoted to Full Colonel (33rd NC Inf)
Promoted to Full Brig-Gen
Biography: Brigadier-General Lawrence O'Brian Branch was born in Halifax
county, N. C., November 28, 1820. Five years later his mother
died, and his father, who had removed to Tennessee, died in
1827.
He was then brought back to his native State by his guardian,
Gov. John Branch, and was taken to Washington when the
governor was appointed secretary of the navy in 1829. At the
national capital the boy studied under various preceptors, one
of them being Salmon P. Chase, afterward secretary of the
treasury.
He was graduated with first honors at Princeton in 1838, after
which he resided eight years in Florida, practicing law and in
the early part of 1841 participating in the Seminole war. In
1844 he married the daughter of Gen. W. A. Blount, of
Washington, N. C., and soon afterward made his home at
Raleigh.
In 1852 he was an elector on the Pierce ticket; in the same
year became president of the Raleigh & Gaston railroad, and in
1855 was elected to Congress, where he served until the war
began.
Upon the resignation of Howell Cobb he was tendered, but
declined, the position of secretary of the treasury.
Returning from Congress March 4, 1861, he advocated immediate
secession, and in April enlisted as a private in the Raleigh
rifles.
On May 20th he accepted the office of State quartermaster-
general, but resigned it for service in the field, and in
September following was elected colonel of the Thirty-third
regiment North Carolina troops. On January 17, 1862, he was
promoted to brigadier-general in the provisional army of the
Confederate States, his command including the Seventh,
Eighteenth, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-third and Thirty-seventh
regiments.
At New Bern, March 14, 1862, he was in his first battle,
commanding the forces which disputed the advance of Burnside.
Retiring to Kinston, he was ordered to Virginia and his
brigade was attached to A. P. Hill's famous light division.
It was the first in the fight at Slash church (Hanover Court
House), also the first to cross the Chickahominy and attack
the Federals, beginning the Seven Days' battles, in which the
brigade fought at Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Frayser's Farm,
and Malvern Hill, winning imperishable fame, at a cost of five
colonels and 1,250 men killed and wounded, out of a total
strength of 3,000. General Branch bore himself throughout
this bloody campaign with undaunted courage and the coolness
of a veteran commander.
Soon followed the battles of Cedar Run, Second Manassas,
Fairfax Court House and Harper's Ferry. Hurrying from the
latter victory on the morning of September 17th, he reached
the field of Sharpsburg with his brigade about 2:30 in the
afternoon, just in time to meet an advance of the enemy which
had broken the line of Jones' division and captured a battery.
"With a yell of defiance," A. P. Hill reported, "Archer
charged them, retook McIntosh's guns, and drove them back
pellmell. Branch and Gregg, with their old veterans, sternly
held their ground, and pouring in destructive volleys, the
tide of the enemy surged back, and breaking in confusion,
passed out of sight. The three brigades of my division
actively engaged did not number over 2,000 men, and these,
with the help of my splendid batteries, drove back Burnside's
corps of 15,000 men."
Soon after, as Hill and the three brigadiers were consulting,
some sharpshooter sent a bullet into the group, which crashed
through the brain of General Branch, and he fell, dying, into
the arms of his staffofficer, Major Engelhard.
In noticing this sad event, General Hill wrote: "The
Confederacy has to mourn the loss of a gallant soldier and
accomplished gentleman. He was my senior brigadier, and one
to whom I could have intrusted the command of the division,
with all confidence. "
General Branch left one son, W. A. B. Branch, who has served
in Congress from the First district.
Source: Confederate Military History, vol. V, p298
Further info:
Brigadier-General Lawrence O'Brian Branch was born in Halifax county, N. C., November
28, 1820. Five years later his mother died, and his father, who had removed to Tennessee,
died in 1827. He was then brought back to his native State by his guardian, Gov. John
Branch, and was taken to Washington when the governor was appointed secretary of the
navy in 1829 At the national capital the boy studied under various preceptors, one of them
being Salmon P. Chase, afterward secretary of the treasury. He was graduated with first
honors at Princeton in 1838, after which he resided eight years in Florida, practicing law
and in the early part of 1841 participating in the Seminole war. In 1844 he married the
daughter of Gen. W. A. Blount, of Washington, N. C., and soon afterward made his home
at Raleigh. In 1852 he was an elector on the Pierce ticket; in the same year became
president of the Raleigh & Gaston railroad, and in 1855 was elected to Congress, where he
served until the war began. Upon the resignation of Howell Cobb he was tendered, but
declined, the position of secretary of the treasury. Returning from Congress March 4, 1861,
he advocated immediate secession, and in April enlisted as a private in the Raleigh rifles.
On May 20th he accepted the office of State quartermaster-general, but resigned it for
service in the field, and in September following was elected colonel of the Thirty-third regiment
North Carolina troops. On January I 7, 1862, he was promoted to brigadier-general in the
provisional army of the Confederate States, his command including the Seventh, Eighteenth,
Twenty-eighth, Thirty-third and Thirty-seventh regiments. At New Bern, March 14, 1862, he
was in his first battle, commanding the forces which disputed the advance of Burnside.
Retiring to Kinston, he was ordered to Virginia and his brigade was attached to A. P. Hill's
famous light division. It was the first in the fight at Slash church (Hanover Court House),
also the first to cross the Chickahominy and attack the Federals, beginning the Seven Days'
battles, in which the brigade fought at Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Frayser's Farm, and
Malvern Hill, winning imperishable fame, at a cost of five colonels and 1,250 men killed and
wounded, out of a total strength of 3,000. General Branch bore himself throughout this bloody
campaign with undaunted courage and the coolness of a veteran commander. Soon followed
the battles of Cedar Run, Second Manassas, Fairfax Court House and Harper's Ferry. Hurrying
from the latter victory On the monning of September 17th, he reached the field of Sharpsburg
with his brigade about 2:30 in the afternoon, just in time to meet an advance of the enemy
which had broken the line of Jones' division and captured a battery. "With a yell of defiance,"
A. P. Hill reported, "Archer charged them, retook McIntosh's guns, and drove them back
pellmell. Branch and Gregg, with their old veterans, sternly held their ground, and pouring in
destructive volleys, the tide of the enemy surged back, and breaking in confusion, passed
out of sight The three brigades of my division actively engaged did not number over 2,000 men,
and these, with the help of my splendid batteries, drove back Burnside's corps of 15,000 men."
Soon after, as Hill and the three brigadiers were consulting, some sharpshooter sent a bullet
into the group, which crashed through the brain of General Branch, and he fell, dying, into the
arms of his staff-officer, Major Engelhard. In noticing this sad event, General Hill wrote: "The
Confederacy has to mourn the loss of a gallant soldier and accomplished gentleman. He was
my senior brigadier, and one to whom I could have intrusted the command of the division, with
all confidence." General Branch left one son, W. A. B. Branch, who has served in Congress
from the First district.